This invention relates to the discovery and asexual propagation of a new and distinct variety of peach, Prunus persica cv. ‘Supecheighteen’. The new variety was first hybridized in February 2000 and selected in May 2002 by Terry Bacon as breeder number: ‘PE133’. The new variety was first evaluated by Terry Bacon near Wasco, Calif. in Kern County. The variety ‘Supecheighteen’ was originated by hybridization.
The new variety ‘Supecheighteen’ is characterized by its large size, early ripening, later blooming and early harvest.
The seed parent is ‘Supechthirteen’ (the subject of U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,142), and the pollen parent is from an unknown breeding selection. The parent varieties were first crossed in February 2000, with the date of sowing being February 2001, and the date of first flowering being February 2002. The new peach variety ‘Supecheighteen’ was first asexually propagated by Terry Bacon near Wasco, Kern County, Calif. in January 2007, by budding.
The new variety ‘Supecheighteen’ is distinguished from its seed parent, ‘Supechthirteen’, in that the new variety ripens about seventeen days later than ‘Supechthirteen’ and blooms ten days later. The fruit of the new variety ‘Supecheighteen’ is larger in diameter than that of ‘Supechthirteen’, at about 82 mm in comparison to 67 mm.
The new variety ‘Supecheighteen’ is not knowingly distinguished from that of its pollen parent, since the pollen parent was from an unknown breeding selection.
The new variety ‘Supecheighteen’ is similar in appearance to “Crimson Lady” (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,953) but it ripens about seven days earlier. The new variety ‘Supecheighteen’ ripens nearly with ‘Maycrest’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,064), but is larger in size at about 82 mm in comparison with 66 mm of ‘Maycrest’.
The new variety ‘Supecheighteen’ has been shown to maintain its distinguishing characteristics through successive asexual propagations by, for example, budding.